Page 1 - Reale_2006

Chemistry and Ecology
August 2006, Vol. 22 (Supplement 1), pp. S173–S179

Chemical composition and nutritional value of some marine
species from the Egadi Islands

ALESSANDRA REALE*†, MARISA ZIINO‡, FRANCESCA OTTOLENGHI§,
PAOLO PELUSI§, VINCENZA ROMEO‡, CONCETTA CONDURSO‡ and
MARILENA SANFILIPPO†

†Gaia Soc. Coop., Contrada Citola 13 98168 Messina, Italy
‡Department of Organic and Biologic Chemistry, University of Messina, Italy
§Consorzio Mediterraneo, Rome, Italy

(Received 15 February 2005; in final form 7 March 2006)
Downloaded At: 20:22 7 January 2011 from the Mediterranean Sea is very limited. In this study, the target species were Scorpaena porcus,
Information available on the chemical composition and nutritional value of marine species harvested
Scorpaena scrofa, Palinurus elephas, and Sepia officinalis, selected among those with the greatest
commercial value and caught using local traditional gear. Samples were analysed for moisture, ash,
protein, total lipid content, and for fatty acid percentage distribution. All the species showed high
amounts of proteins (mean value 18.15%) and can be considered lean (fat content <3%), with a
high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids of the n-3 series. Significant differences (P< 0.05) were
observed among the different species for some of the most representative fatty acids. All species
(except S. officinalis) had a good value for the prevention of cardiac illnesses as can be deduced from
their low atherogenic and thrombogenic indexes.
Keywords: Egadi Islands; Chemical composition; Nutritional value; Atherogenic index; Thrombo-
genic index

1. Introduction

Seafood is an important constituent in the human diet and is a valid alternative to other food
products [1]. In fact, from a nutritional point of view, fish is considered a precious food for
its easy digestibility, high mineral, vitamin, and protein content, and composition of lipid
fraction [2]. Animal experiments show that fatty acids from n-3 fish oils are stored in the
cell membranes of heart cells and can prevent sudden cardiac death or fatal arrhythmias.
Excessive Na and Ca currents in the heart can cause dangerous and erratic changes in the heart
rhythm. Studies of individual heart cells demonstrated that the n-3 essential polyunsaturated
fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) specifically block these excessive electrical discharges [3], so the
high-n-3 PUFAs mean that fish is a particularly good food for the prevention of some complex

*Corresponding author. Email: alereale@inwind.it
Chemistry and Ecology
ISSN 0275-7540 print/ISSN 1029-0370 online © 2006 Taylor & Francis
http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
DOI: 10.1080/02757540600679290